


The Light in the Shadows

by FandomAmbassador



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Healing, Implied Genji Shimada/Tekhartha Zenyatta, Implied Jesse McCree/Hanzo Shimada, Jack Needs a Hug, Kisses, Light Angst, M/M, Meditation, Overwatch - Freeform, Poor Jack, Post-Fall of Overwatch, Reaper76 - Freeform, Reunion, Talon - Freeform, background McHanzo, background genyatta - Freeform, fight me, gabe is innocent, i love my edgy dads, jack experiences traquility, let them be happy, r76, some poetry by me dont mind that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-03-14
Packaged: 2018-09-20 11:23:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9488876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomAmbassador/pseuds/FandomAmbassador
Summary: Jack Morrison has returned from the dead, hailed as a hero. Overwatch has been saved. But when the notorious Talon agent Reaper shows up at Overwatch's doorstep, can Jack save himself from his own past?This is a story of demons, reunions, hate, love, and new-beginnings.





	1. Where My Demons Hide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so this started out as a drabble I posted on my new tumblr (https://thefandomambassador.tumblr.com/), but then my brain just took it and ran with it.  
> I will update the tags as I go on.  
> Also, I'm new to this fandom, so tell me if anything is ooc or glaringly wrong from the canon. I did take some creative license on some of it.  
> Enjoy!! <3

A new dawn had risen upon Overwatch. They were heroes once again. The world looked towards them for safety and hope and freedom. But Jack Morrison did not feel like a hero. When he finally abandoned his tactical visor and vigilante escapades to show his face to the world once again, not even a week ago, he was hailed as a hero after they heard his story. The tragic fall of Overwatch and his comrades, and how he faked his death in order to avenge them. His oldest and closest friends were angry first and he didn’t blame them. He lied to them. He let them believe he was dead. He let them mourn him. But they soon looked at him with that same adoring expression that everyone else graced him with. They could not stay angry at their beloved friend whom was found to be alive after all these years. Jack Morrison was growing tired of that look. It made him feel filthy. He could practically feel the sheen of lies covering his skin. Not to mention, after all he did, after all he tried to do, he still could not bring back what was lost to him. Jack Morrison, Overwatch hero, was nothing but a ghost of his past. He sighed and fisted his hand through his white-blond hair, staring at the tactical visor, lying dormant on his desk. That visor would be his legacy, his story, no matter what he did. A sharp knock sounded from his dorm, pulling Jack from the swirling mess of his mind.

“Come in.” He muttered, voice low and sharp. Dr. Angela Ziegler tentatively stepped into the room, hand casually resting on the doorknob. Her sunny blond hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail, showing off her delicate features.

“Angela.” Jack said, standing up.

“Jack…there’s been…a discovery.” She said lightly in her melodic Swiss accent. Jack noted the tense undertone to her voice. He inclined his head and raised a sharp white brow, indicating her to go on.

“Reaper has been brought in.”

“What? Where? Who got him?” Jack sputtered, pushing away from his desk, moving towards the door. When Jack was operating as Soldier 76, his main target was Reaper, and so it seemed that Reaper’s main target was him. They had fought several times, and Jack had nearly been killed if not for the appearance of the also thought-to-be-dead Ana Amari. A terror to the world and Talon’s finest soldier, Reaper quickly became one of the most wanted agents in the world. He was mysterious, powerful, and always got away. He also had not been seen for ages. Jack had assumed he had moved away from Talon’s terrorist attacks and assassinations, maybe he had disappeared back into the shadows he came from. Jack didn’t care where he went, as long as he was gone. Him being back was quite the discovery, let alone him being captured by Overwatch agents. Angela quickly stepped to intercept him.

“Jack. I’ll explain that soon. There’s something else.” Her voice quivered slightly. “We’re not sure, I mean, it might not be…you should come take a look.”

“What?” Jack asked, unnerved by how odd the doctor was acting.

“Look, I mean, it might not be true, but we need you to verify. Just come along.” She pushed open the door, gesturing to the hallway.

“Tell me how he was captured.” Jack insisted, following Doctor Ziegler through the hallways.

“The guards say he just appeared out of nowhere, firing shots into the air. Didn’t even try to shoot at the guards. They called for backup, thinking it was a distraction, a Talon attack. But nothing came. They had Reaper surrounded in seconds, completely immobilized. He didn’t even put up a fight. They were going to contain him, but then we noticed he was injured badly. I’ve never seen anything like his body composition, but it was obvious. Leaking this horrible black liquid that seems to be his blood. We put him up in med bay. Winston rigged it up so if he wakes up, he can’t do that creepy disappearing thing.” Angela explained.

“My God. I don’t even know what to say. I’ve spent half my life trying to kill this guy and he shows up half dead on our doorstep. What the hell is he getting at?” Jack muttered as they arrived in front of the smooth white doors of the med bay. “Also, what do you need me to verify? What’s got you so upset?”

The doctor just inclined her head to the med bay, and pushed open the doors. The room was pristine white, a blank canvas of sterile space. Except for one thing. Jack stood in the doorway, staring at the dark shape that was his greatest enemy. A ruthless killer and a psychopath. It was undoubtedly him. The shape was slightly blurry around the edges with those same smoky tendrils that Reaper had. He looked like he was about to disappear any second, which is what the Reaper Jack knew would be doing. This Reaper was motionless on the soft white medical bed, stripped of his mask and gear. Jack realized with a shock that he would see the face of the man he tried to kill. The man who tried to kill him. He looked so vulnerable and broken lying in the med bay, completely helpless. Jack inhaled a deep breath and stepped forward, ready to finally see what was behind that terrible, ominous owl skull that Reaper hid his face with. The room was silent. Jack stepped beside the bed. He looked. Seconds ticked by. Suddenly Jack leapt backwards, crashing into Angela.

“No. No. Nononono-“

“Jack-!” Angela grabbed him by his shoulders as he attempted to backpedal out of the room.

“This is a trick. It’s not what I see. Please!”

“We’re not sure, I mean, it’s why we asked you. It might not be. I don’t know-Oh gosh Jack I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” Angela stuttered, shaking her head. Jack went limp, falling to his knees on the cold gray floor. Dr. Ziegler put her hands over her mouth, staring at the unresponsive Jack Morrison. The hero, the soldier. Jack Morrison. Reduced to a ball on the floor of the med bay.

“J-jack, I’m sorry, but we need a confirmation. Is it him?” Angela whispered, kneeling next to Jack on the ground. He stared at the wall straight ahead, sharp blue eyes unfocused. What Jack saw flashed through his mind. The Reaper’s face was truly horrible to look at. His skin seemed to be constantly sloughing off his face in dusty gray tendrils, only to reappear again as flaky mahogany skin. The right side of his face was half rotted away and Jack could see his sharp white teeth in his jaw. He barely had any hair, just half dead patches here and there. Yet it was unmistakable. He could still see the same exact scars, despite the flaking, dead skin. The strong jaw and broad nose. It could not be anyone else and Jack knew it. Angela knew it. Everyone knew it. Jack Morrison looked up at the ceiling and uttered two words, almost like a prayer.

“Gabriel Reyes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well.  
> That happened.  
> I absolutely love your comments, please feel free to leave any constructive criticism or suggestions! I'll probably be adding some background ships like McHanzo and I'm prone to some Genyatta...would everyone be okay with that?


	2. Lost Souls and Reverie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all you amazing people!  
> Just a few quick things:  
> Title of the chapter is from Renegades by XAmbassadors.  
> I don't own Overwatch/the characters/ the storyline.  
> Please enjoy this chapter!

In the following days, the base was filled with whispers of “Gabriel Reyes”, “Reaper”, “Jack Morrison”, “Traitor” and “Talon”.  Jack found that he couldn’t even walk down the hall without being assaulted by none-too-subtle stares by fellow agents. Very quickly, Jack started a new routine of avoiding as much human contact as possible. He mostly stayed locked in his room or his office, refusing to open the door for anyone. He instructed Athena to have his dinner brought to him, although he had lost his appetite as of late. He was mostly sustained by large mugs of coffee, with a shocking amount of sugar put in. Jack could never drink his coffee black. He always had to have his sweetened with sugar, creamer, anything to mask the sharp bitter flavor. Gabe, on the other hand, drank his coffee straight black. The darker the better. A pang shot through Jack’s chest at the memory and the heavily sweetened coffee tasted bitter in his mouth. Jack tossed the remaining coffee down the sink, unable the stomach the rest.

“Agent Morrison, your presence has been requested by Agent Ziegler at the Med Bay,” An electronic voice filtered through Jack’s quarters. Jack sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.

“Athena, I thought I already told you. I don’t want to see anyone right now.” He muttered into the emptiness of his room.

“Agent Ziegler is growing concerned about your health. You have not shown up for any meal in the past 3 and a half days. You have not talked to another agent for 2 days. I have also been monitoring you. Your last solid meal was a granola bar last night. The recommended amount of coffee intake was surpassed about a day ago. You also have not participated in any of your fitness routines since three days ago.”

Jack pinched the bridge of his nose, slightly annoyed. Mostly because Athena was right. He hadn’t even showered this morning. He was mostly sitting around in his quarters.

“Another agent also mentioned that you were ‘sulking’,” Athena added, an I-told-you-so tone seeping into her synthetic voice.  Jack’s hands flew to his hips, although no one was there to observe his disgruntled sass.

“Who said that?” Jack demanded, definitely annoyed now. Silence on Athena’s end.

“Doctor Ziegler will expect you at 1400 hours.” Athena said finally.

“I bet it was Jesse,” Jack muttered, sifting through the mess of clothes on the ground to find a clean shirt.

After a shower, Jack changed out of the gray sweatpants and ratty t-shirt he had been “sulking” in for the past few days and into a pair of dark jeans and a blue Henley. Jack almost felt normal again, despite the deep shadows beneath his eyes that stood out starkly against his pale skin. He considered actually having something to eat, but he found he still did not have the appetite. He settled for a glass of orange juice instead of the usual sickly sweet coffee. Jack knew that he would have to face his fears sometime, but he tried so hard to avoid it.

Hi friend. His Gabe. A killer. Jack had always known that Gabe was different. He was aggressive and loved power far too much, but he was never that cold-hearted killer. He never worked for the bad guys. Sure, Blackwatch was almost there, but Blackwatch was not Talon. Talon did not discriminate against women, children, or the innocent. They would kill anyone to get what they wanted. Jack was devastated after the fall of Overwatch. After the fight between him and Gabe that ultimately led to his “death” and what he thought was Gabe’s death. To have his best and closest friend die that way was terrible, but to have him die with bitter words of hate on each others' tongues was even worse. Jack let out of mirthless laugh as he angrily laced up his combat boots. Now he was wishing that Gabe had died. This was even more horrible. This was a nightmare. Jack fiddled with the hem of his shirt as he stood at his door, gathering up the courage to walk out into the sea of gossip and pointed stares. After a second thought, he grabbed the blue and white jacket that was lying abandoned on a chair. He threw it on, the emblazoned “76” on the back giving him the courage he needed. Jack took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

Jack fortunately made it to the Med Bay without being stopped by anyone or being the subject of too much gossip. Just a few glances or whispers here and there. Most of it was probably because of his jacket. _Living legend, Soldier 76. Living legend, Jack Morrison_ , he thought bitterly. The Med Bay was pristine and quiet as always. Jack noted that Rea-‘ _Gabriel’_ , he reminded himself, had been moved. Jack was glad he did not have to seem him when he walked in.

“Jack?”

The soldier started a bit, recognizing the Swiss doctor’s voice, and realized that he had been standing in the middle of the room, staring at the bed where Gabriel used to be. He turned to see Angela standing tentatively by the doorway to the West Wing of the Med Bay.

“Hey, Angela,” He said, realizing just how tired he sounded. She looked at him with pity in her pale blue eyes. Jack hated that look. He had seen it too many times in his life.

“I’m so glad to see you. We all were getting worried.”

“I’m fine.” It sounded fake, even to Jack’s ears. The pity shone painfully bright in her eyes.

“We wanted to talk to you before we made a decision,”

“What decision?” Jack queried.

“About Reaper,” Angela said softly, as if talking to a small child.

“Gabriel,”

“Pardon?”

“His name wa- his name is Gabriel” Jack said firmly, not meeting the doctor’s eyes.

“You know we have to make a big decision about him, right? He killed people. He’s not good. You know that, Jack. He’s not the man you used to know,”

Jack squeezed his eyes shut, wishing this was all just a terrible dream. He would wake up soon, right? Everything would be okay. If he was lucky, he would wake up and he would be young again and Gabriel would be by his side and so would Ana. He could go back to fighting evil with them. He could go back to the world where everything was okay and he was okay and Gabe was okay. If he was lucky, he would wake up from this terrible dream that seemed to be his life. But Jack Morrison did not have a good history of luck. His eyes opened and he was still in the Med Bay, with Angela standing in front of him. Seeing that Jack was either ignoring her statement or choosing not to answer, the doctor continued.

“With some help from Lúcio, I’ve generally pinpointed how his body works. It appear that the cells self-destruct themselves, but the regen is incredibly rapid. They simply come back as soon as they’re destroyed. It’s a perfect balance of destroying and preserving. Despite this, he can be injured if he is attacked constantly with no chance to regen fast enough, which is what appeared to have happened to him before he arrived here. The cells could not compensate for the damage he was taking. Whatever went down, it must have been terrible,”

“Angela, why did he come here? What could have possibly motivated him to come here after being injured?” Jack pleaded. The doctor shrugged gracefully.

“Maybe he knew that you would see him and not be able to turn him away,”

“So you’re saying he is playing my weaknesses.” Jack said bluntly. The Swiss woman could not bring herself to meet Jack’s eyes.

“All I’m saying, Jack, is that we still can’t trust him, no matter who you knew him to be.”

Jack sighed and nodded reluctantly.

“I know, Angela. I know.”

“Which brings us to our decision. Re-erm-Gabriel has fully recovered from his injuries he had when he arrived. We barely had time to experiment healing him before his body took over and healed himself. It seemed like he just needed a few days out of danger to heal. We kept him under, though. We didn’t want to risk him attempting to escape…or anything worse. The thing is, we can try to fix him.”

“F-fix him?”

“Yes. We can attempt to reverse what has taken over his body and restore him to his old self,” The doctor held up a finger as she saw Jack open his mouth. “The problem is his mind. If we can fix him, and that’s a big enough problem itself, he will still be the man who killed so many innocent people. The man who has destroyed so much life. He will still be Reaper.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I love Jack. I really do.  
> I also swear there will be fluff and happy things.  
> And other characters. Whoops. I got caught up in writing Jack and Angela...  
> Anyways, thank you for reading!!! Also, comments and kudos mean the world to me, thank you so much!  
> Love you all! Stay happy, healthy, and safe everyone!  
> <3 Ambassador


	3. Unconditionally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title: unconditionally by katy perry
> 
> ugh you all are amazing thank you for reading this

_They worked beautifully together. Jack and Gabe took the front lines. Ana had their backs. Gabriel was naturally more aggressive, so he would fly in there, guns blazing, never holding back. Jack was more by-the-rules. He stayed low and hit them hard with his massive pulsefire rockets. Gabriel was almost like the distraction. They would be so preoccupied with his glorious show, they would never see Jack coming. Ana took out any targets that got too close and anyone who looked like they would be a problem. They were flawless together. They moved like one, well-oiled machine, taking down anyone who crossed into their sights. Jack could taste the metallic tang of gunfire on his tongue, he could hear Gabe laughing and yelling in Spanish._

_“Is that all you got,_ mis amigos _?” He said, his rich voice lilting with delight. Jack laughed. Gabe was such a show off._

Bang!

_An explosion rocked the infiltrated base._

_“Gabe! Retreat!” Jack yelled as bits of plaster rained from the ceiling, but more explosions and gunfire drowned him out. Jack ran out, the building crumbling behind him. He watched as the building fell in on itself, clouds of dust billowing up._

_“Gabe!” Jack yelled hoarsely, dropping his gun. “Gabriel!” He fell to his knees, watching as the rubble flickered with flames._

_The scene switched and Jack was in another enemy base, but this time Gabriel was on the other side._

_“You left me, Jack. You left me to die. You watched the building fall on me as you ran away. Look what you did to me. Look what you made me!”_

_Suddenly, Gabriel was in front of Jack, but it didn’t look like him. His face was decayed and his eyes shone like blood and firelight. The wraith-like form gripped either side of Jack’s head, sharp claws digging into his skin, forcing him to look at the monstrous face._

_“Look at me and know that you made me this way!” Gabriel hissed._

_Jack let out a choked sound, trying to escape from the horror. Then the figure of Gabriel dissipated into black smoke, wrapping around Jack, obscuring his vison.  Jack coughed, suffocating as the smoke swirled around him. “I have to get out, you have to stop Gabe, I’m sorry-I have to-“_

Jack’s eyes flew open, gasping for breath. His hands gripped the thin grey blankets on his bed. Jack slowly got a hold of his surroundings. The pale blue digital lights on his bedside clock read that it was past midnight. A nightmare. Just a nightmare. Jack reassured himself. His heart was still beating rapidly and he was breathing hard. He leaned back into the simple, Overwatch-standard bed, staring at the ceiling.

A sigh.

Jack made up his mind, shoving off the covers. He splashed some water on his face in the bathroom and changed into an old t-shirt and jeans. The base was sure to be empty at this time. Jack had to do this. After a second thought, years of military training had him tucking a small handgun into the waistband of his jeans. Then he opened his door and walked out into the eerily quiet base. Everything was dark, save for a few dim lights and flickers of moonlight from the windows. Jack walked down the corridors, heading directly for the med bay. Despite his obvious bulk and the clumsy combat boots, Jack walked silently and gracefully. The med bay looked somewhat less intimidating at night. During the day, it was painfully bright and sterile, the LED lights illuminating the vast whiteness of it all. At night, it was more muted and grey. The moonlight shone softly off the electronic devices around the rooms. Jack took a haphazard guess and walked into the West Wing, since he had seen Angela coming from there yesterday. Jack quietly pushed through the door, rounding the corner into the first room. Jack almost gave a start, seeing two shadowed figures standing over the bed in the room. Talon agents coming to remove him? Agents who didn’t believe they should be keeping Reaper here? Jack knew that a lot of people didn’t approve of them nursing Reaper back to health and keeping him safe here. Jack slipped the gun out and held it levelly in front of him with two hands. He moved like an elegant panther along the wall, blending into the shadows. The figures did not appear to be moving, just standing there. One was tall, but obviously bulky. The other was considerably shorter, but just as broad. Jack figured he could probably take them both, or at least subdue them until backup came. Jack moved closer to see that the taller figure was wearing a hat of some kind. It appeared to look like…wait-

“Jesse?” Jack said incredulously, staring at the unmistakable cowboy hat on top of the shadowy figure’s head. The two figures jumped and spun around and Jack found himself facing Peacekeeper and Storm Bow. Jack quickly shoved his handgun back into the waistband of his jeans and put his hands up in a non-threatening way.

“Don’t shoot! It’s me, Jack.” He said, stepping into a patch of moonlight. Jack could see clearly now that it was indeed Jesse McCree, decked out in his cowboy hat and serape. Jack wondered briefly if he ever parted with either item. Jack then observed that the shorter figure was the older Shimada. He also noticed that the impressively dangerous looking bow was still pointed at him. Jesse had already tucked Peacekeeper away and was grinning amicably at Jack.

“Well, Jack! You nearly gave me a heart attack. Fancy meetin’ you here!” Jesse said, giving a little tip to his cowboy hat.

“I could say the same. What are you doing here? Especially at this time.” Jack muttered, still eyeing the Shimada warily.

“I wanted to visit Gabe. ‘Sides, Hanzo here is a bit of an insomniac. I keep him company at night. He might say that he doesn’t want me here, but secretly I think he like it.” Jesse drawled, grinning cheekily. Hanzo glared at McCree.

“You are a fool, Jesse McCree.” Hanzo scowled. Jack thought he heard a rather fond tone seep into the archer’s voice, but his face remained as stoic as ever. McCree just smiled and looked down at the form of Gabriel Reyes. Jack swallowed hard. The wraith-like body of Gabriel was more muted at night. Jack could almost imagine the old Gabe here. He could almost forget that this was Reaper.

“Doesn’t it bother you, Jesse? Doesn’t it hurt?” Jack blurted, watching Jesse smile at Gabriel, nostalgia and love obvious in his eyes.

“Gabe was the closest thing to a father I had. He pulled me back from the edge. I would be nothin’ but a dirty criminal on the streets without him. What Reaper did out there? That ain’t the Gabriel I know.”

Jack’s chest ached. It wasn’t the Gabe he knew either, but he couldn’t ignore the truth that had been set out before him. Gabriel was Reaper. What Reaper had done could not be reversed, no matter what. He stared miserably at his best friend lying on the hospital bed, tendrils of darkness slithering down the white sheets.

“It is late, cowman. It won’t do you any good to sit in the darkness staring at him.” Jack heard Hanzo say quietly.

“Yeah, sure darlin’,” McCree said amicably. Jack could almost audibly hear Hanzo rolling his eyes. “Well, I best be off now. I’ll see you around, Jack. Don’t stay up too late.” McCree clapped a large hand on Jack’s shoulder. Jack attempted a smile, hoping it didn’t look too forced.  

“Goodnight, Jesse,”

“’Night, then,” The cowboy turned out of the room and Hanzo trailing after him. The archer turned at the doorway, giving Jack a nod. Jack understood that the austere Japanese man had purposely told Jesse to leave so Jack could be alone. He gave the older Shimada a grateful nod back before both men slipped out of the Med Bay. Jack pulled over an uncomfortable plastic chair from the corner of the room so he could sit by Gabriel’s bed.

It was almost methodical, watching the steady drifting of smoky tendrils and the rise and fall of Gabe’s chest. Gabriel was never a small man, in fact he was quite tall and impressively broad, but lying pathetically in the hospital, he looked tiny. On impulse, Jack reached out and took hold of the hand lying limply on the crisp bedsheets. He almost expected his hand to pass through it, considering Gabe’s ghostly form, but the hand was just as solid and warm as his own. The only thing different was the ticklish sensation of the wisps of regenerating flesh. When Jack had met Gabriel at the SEP, they were not always friendly at first. Gabriel was an aggressive and prideful young man, Jack was the golden boy. Jack had to work to earn their friendship. He had to work to gain Gabe’s approval. But when he did, they were inseparable. When they met Ana, all three of them hit it off. They worked together perfectly. But Jack’s friendship with Ana was not like his friendship with Gabe. He and Gabe understood each other like no one else could. They were opposites, but their personalities complemented each other. Jack would be lying if he said he understood the complexity and profoundness of their relationship. Jack realized then at that moment that whatever had happened, he could never deny Gabe. He would do everything he could to get him back, even if he was Reaper. Even if he was a madman. Jack was ashamed to admit that he would forgive Gabe for everything he had done, if only to have him by his side once again. Jack clutched Gabe’s hand tighter, the shadows draping over his hunched form like black velvet, the moon illuminating his tears like quicksilver on his cheeks.

“I won’t leave you again, Gabe. I will save you this time, no matter what.” Jack whispered into the silence of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> where is this angst coming from even
> 
> stay tuned for more gayness and hopefully some actual quality fluff  
> even i don't know what my brain has planned  
> oh well  
> i am living solely on chocolate and your kudos/comments.  
> <3 Ambassador


	4. Breath and Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well here we go again  
> new chapter  
> title: Breath and Life by Audiomachine   
> (yeah it's sountrack/epic orchestral/trailer music, but I have a terrible obsession with that. if u like that kind of music i highly recommend this song, especially the Digweed remix.)  
> anywho, enjoy loves!

The Gibraltar base was far from small. There were shooting ranges, a large gym, agility courses and lots of buildings to test out new weapons and gear.

So, Jack had no issue avoiding his fellow agents at all. He wasn’t locking himself in his room and refusing to eat anymore, but Jack preferred not to be in the middle of all the gossip that circulated the base. Especially since most of it was about him.

After he had visited Gabe the previous night, the med bay went on lockdown around Gabe. Angela and her assistant Lúcio were constantly doing tests and experiments, trying to find a way to heal Gabe from his wraith form. Jack had not gotten another chance to visit him.

So, now he filled his time by wandering around the base, exploring the far edges where no agents ever went. It wasn’t easy; most of the island was unreachable with giant cliffs and rocky structures. The wind was harsh and bitter, and the waves could get impressively high at times.

Still, Jack had found ways to scramble up the rocks and find abandoned buildings and ruins. Today, Jack had found what appeared to be an abandoned garden hidden behind a particularly steep bluff. It was closed in on all sides by huge wooden walls covered in patches of vines and moss.

He could tell it once had been beautiful. The wood was ornately carved beneath the plants that had grown over it, only slightly wind worn and faded by the sun. Lichen filled in the cracks and edges of the walls. After some prodding and removal of vines, Jack found the door to the garden. The hinges were rusted, but oddly enough, did not stick when Jack pushed on the door.

Jack’s first impression on the place was that it did not appear to have been abandoned after all. There were small trees everywhere, and even one impressively large one. The ground was covered in flowers and bushes.

It was late spring on Gibraltar, but usually no one could tell. There was only a few scrubby plants growing in between the rocks and almost never flowers and trees.

But in here, everything was in bloom. Jack could tell that the garden had been carefully tended to for a while now.

 Jack’s second impression of the place was that he was not alone. He realized now that there were two figures sitting by the far side of the garden, where heavily blossomed trees hung over them, shading them from the outside world. Jack stepped closer.

Wait. Not sitting. Floating a few inches off the ground.

The two figures were floating, legs folded beneath themselves, facing each other.

Jack quickly identified the one on the right as Genji Shimada, his bright silver and green accented body instantly giving him away. Jack noted that the other figure was an omnic, dressed in loose fitting pants and a sash. He assumed it was Genji’s omnic teacher, Zenyatta.

Possibly even more impressive than the fact that they were floating off the ground was Zenyatta himself. His omnic orbs were floating in a perfect circular position around his body, and he had multiple ethereal arms spread out like golden ghosts.

The air around them seemed warped around the edges; slightly blurry with a golden sheen to it. Jack felt like he had stepped into another world. Even the air was warmer and smelled like an intoxicating mixture of cherry blossoms and jasmine, with just a hint of ginger.

Jack’s head felt light as he gazed upon the otherworldly scene. An odd sense of freedom settled over his chest. It was the single most intense and elevating thing Jack had ever experienced.

Suddenly, the golden arms faded from Zenyatta’s body and the scene shattered instantly. Genji’s body was slowly lowered to the ground, but Zenyatta remained floating. Jack shook his head, feeling like a heavy blanket had been lifted off of him. A slight dreamy fuzz remained at the corners of Jack’s mind, the only evidence of what had happened.

The golden light over the garden faded and the air was once again breezy and smelled like the ocean surrounding them. The two figures turned to Jack and looked at him.

“It would appear we have a visitor, Genji,” The omnic monk said calmly. Genji faced Jack, and he noticed with a start that the cyborg had removed his faceplate, baring his scarred features. The younger Shimada had an uncanny resemblance to his brother, but with a more playful, mischievous glint to his dark amber eyes. The delicate skin of his face was marred with a mess of scars, but Jack could tell once had rakishly handsome features. Genji smirked at Jack.

“Hey, Jack. I see you have experienced a small bit of transcendence, if the glazed over look on your face is anything to go by.”

Jack blinked angrily, hoping he didn’t appear to dumbstruck.

“A small bit?”

“You merely stepped into the aura of it. You didn’t even transcend half way.” Genji pointed out. Jack grunted. If that was only a small bit…he could barely imagine what the cyborg and his teacher had experienced. Jack didn’t want to think too much about all this spiritual mumbo jumbo.

“I apologize for interrupting. I wasn’t aware that this place had been discovered by someone else. I should leave now,” Jack shrugged a bit, gesturing awkwardly around the garden.

“Somehow I do not think you stumbling across this place was any accident. I believe your soul sook out my transcendence for enlightenment.” Zenyatta said peacefully in his synthetic tones. He waved a silicone and metal hand at Jack, gesturing for him to stay. “Genji, I shall see you later today?”

The cyborg rose from his seat on the ground.

“Of course, Master. Thank you for the transcendence today. The unrest in my soul has quieted.” He bowed low in front of Zenyatta.

“I am glad to have helped you find peace again,” The omnic’s lights on his faceplate shone brightly, something akin to human fondness lightening his synthetic voice. Genji leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the top of the omnic’s faceplate before grabbing his own visor and exiting the garden, footsteps falling silently on the ground.

Jack gave a little cough, feeling a bit uncomfortable after witnessing Genji’s display of affection towards Zenyatta. Jack decided not to even ask about that. The omnic monk looked over at Jack, as if realizing he was still there. Jack could have sworn that his expressionless face looked rather smug and quite a bit pleased at the moment.

“Sit down, Jack Morrison. Make yourself comfortable.” Zenyatta said serenely. Jack sat down on the grassy ground, careful not to squish any flowers. Jack was reasonably tall, but because Zenyatta was floating off the ground, he had to look upwards a bit to look the omnic in the face.

“I sense a great disquiet in your soul. It is very troubled.”

“I think a lot of the people here can sense that.” Jack muttered.

“Maybe. They only know a fraction of what has happened to you. They can only pretend to understand. When your soul touched transcendence, I felt a great disruption in harmony. Our souls understood one another in that moment. You must settle the waves that are disrupting the peace in your soul.”

Jack shifted, a bit unnerved.

“So you read my mind?”

“No. Your mind is completely different from your soul. I simply felt the disruption of harmony. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

“Okay. So I’m troubled. Like I said, not a big deduction, given what has happened around here.” Jack harrumphed, knowing that he sounded rude, but a bit too upset to care.

“I am not here to decide what is troubling you or how it occurred. I only offer guidance.”

“Guide me then,” Jack scoffed, his voice tinged with sarcasm. The omnic was not deterred.

“You must let go of your past, Jack Morrison, so you can make peace with your future. You are a stubborn man, I can tell. Not unlike my dear student. Genji Shimada came to me with a broken body and soul. I could not fix them, but I could guide him. He rejected my words. He could barely stand to look at me. To look at himself. He was consumed with hatred because of his past. It was only when his soul found harmony that he could finally live again. You must do the same. No soul follows the same path as another, but I can help you as much as possible.”

“I cannot reverse what I did. I cannot reverse what he did. How can I make peace with that?” Jack nearly pleaded.

“You must try. You must focus directly upon the future, for it is the only way to make peace with the past. I understand that no one can change what he has done, but maybe his story has not been told yet.” Zenyatta lifted an open palm between the two of them and one of his orbs flew to it. Jack eyed it warily, noticing the intricate carvings on it and the power that resonated from it.

“What do you mean, his story hasn’t been told yet?”

“A story can seem very different from one person’s point of view. A story can have a beginning that doesn’t go well, but still have a happy ending. If I had told you Hanzo Shimada’s story up to barely a year ago, you would be thinking very differently of him than you are now. But now, he has changed his story. He is the one writing it. He is the one telling it. He has peace and harmony, just like his brother.”

Jack knew there was a deep, personal story between the brothers, but he had never heard it himself. It was supposedly a tragic story of hate and love and power.

Not so different from he and Gabe, then.

“So you are saying that he needs to tell us his story?”

“Maybe he does. Maybe we already know it. I cannot tell you. Whatever does happen, you must find the peace yourself, first. _Let go of the past, Jack Morrison. But the future? Take hold of the future, and never let your grasp falter._ ” The omnic’s smooth, low, voice was intense and powerful. He did not break eye contact with Jack. He lifted the omnic orb that was on his palm up to Jack’s face.

“Take this. I hope that it can give you the guidance towards the harmony you need.”

“I can’t-“

“I insist.”

Jack took the orb gently into his hand, nodding gruffly in his thanks. The orb was lighter than he expected, and tingled with some sort of energy Jack could not begin to describe. He pocketed it in his loose, grey hoodie. Then Jack rose to his feet, feeling strangely at peace.

“Thank you, Zenyatta.” He said, fiddling with the orb in his pocket.

“Do not thank me, Jack Morrison. You will find that the harmony you seek is entirely within. I merely pointed you in the right direction.” The omnic waved a metal and silicone hand, as if brushing off the thanks. Jack turned towards the impressive wooden doors.

“Oh, and Jack?”

Jack paused, turning to look back at the monk.

“You are welcome to return here anytime. Just, do knock next time, would you?” A light tone entered the omnic’s voice box, the lights on his forehead blinking impishly. Jack couldn’t help but grin a bit.

“Of course.”

Jack pushed open the great carved doors, ready to face the world again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *writes tiny, casual forehead kiss*  
> "praise the lordy be for genyatta hallelujahhhh" *heavy breathing*  
> oh what this was a reaper76 fic? oh right  
> yeah i kinda am in love with zenyatta  
> welp, once again, y'all are my life blood, honestly I love you guys so much  
> kudos/comments make me experience tranquility tbh  
> <3 ambassador


	5. Burning Through my Darkest Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry how long this chapter took, but on a good note, it's a lot longer!  
> Chapter Title: Halo by Beyonce  
> Enjoy my huckleberries!!

Two days later there was a breakthrough. Jack was cleaning his pulse rifle when Athena’s voice alerted him through the comm system.

“Agent Morrison, Doctor Ziegler requests your presence at the med bay.”

Jack jumped out of the chair, flinging it aside carelessly; the pulse rifle forgotten.

“What’s the news? Can they-?” Jack asked the AI system, shrugging on his trademark jacket. Upon a second thought, Jack also picked up the orb of harmony that Zenyatta had given to him and slipped it into his pocket.

Athena gave an amused laugh, as if talking to an impatient child.

“Unfortunately, Agent Morrison, I do not know. You will have to ask Doctor Ziegler to find out.”

“Ok. Worth a shot. Thanks, Athena.” Jack shot out the door, promptly crashing into large figure and getting a face full of smoky scented serape.

“Woah there, partner!” An amused voice drawled out. Jack stumbled backward, trying to catch his balance.

“Jesse! Watch it!” Jack snapped, rubbing his nose where he smashed it into Jesse’s shoulder.

“Sorry, sorry,” McCree put his hands up in surrender. “Where are ya goin’ in such a hurry?”

“Med bay. Angie called for me.” Jack said shortly, itching to get of the conversation so he could see what had come up.

“They find anythin’?”

“Look, McCree, I don’t know. Why don’t you come along and find out.” Jack turned, not waiting for an answer. A sharp jingling of spurs and the click of heeled cowboy boots told him that McCree did indeed come along to find out. Save for the chance run in with Jesse, the halls were fairly empty. There were only a few agents passing through the area that gave Jack strange looks as he ran through the building with a cowboy following close at his heels. Jack flung open the med bay doors with possibly more drama than he intended. A shocked Angela and Lucio turned to face them.

“Well. When I called for you to come, I didn’t expect such a show. But I appreciate the enthusiasm.” Angela commented dryly. Jack flushed a bit, but didn’t back down.

“Howdy, Angela. Lucio.” McCree intercepted meekly, giving a little wave from behind Jack. Lucio grinned widely and waved back. Angela raised a pale eyebrow, but Jack could see her eyes twinkling.

“Hello, Jesse. I wasn’t aware you were coming as well.”

“Well, t’ be honest with ya, I wasn’t quite aware either. I happened to run into Jack on his way here.” The cowboy said cheerily.

“I’m glad you came. I know how close you were to Gabriel.” Angela said kindly. McCree nodded gravely.

“Thank you kindly, ma’am.” Jesse murmured, giving a tip of his hat.

“What’s the news, Angela? What have you found out?” Jack interrupted impatiently. The Swiss doctor sighed, running a hand through the rogue lock of blonde hair that hung in her eyes. Jack noticed the dark circles under her eyes and the rumpled state of her uniform and realized that the poor doctor had probably not gotten any sleep in the past few days.

Jack felt a pang of guilt. He sat around in his room, sulking and bored, while Doctor Ziegler and Lucio had been working hard in the med bay. They were trying to save a man whom they had no obligation to, a man who had killed more people than he had ever saved. All because they trusted Jack.

“Remember what I told you about how his body works? The cells die, then regenerate. We realized that because he can be injured by overloading the dying cells, he can also be overloaded on regenerating cells. We figure that if we overload his body with healing all at once, then the cells won’t be able to die faster than they are being regenerated. Hopefully, the process will then be reversed. I would hook up the Caduceus and Lucio would set up his audio systems too. We can even get Zenyatta to help with as much healing as possible.” Angela said, hope shining bright in her eyes. Jack brushed his fingers against the omnic orb in his pocket. He was skeptical, but he also trusted Angela and her spunky protégée.

Suddenly he felt Jesse jump beside him, clutching onto his ever-present Stetson.

“Well damn, darlin’, you’re gonna give a man a heart attack one day, sneaking up on me like that!”

The group turned to see the elder Shimada standing in the doorway. No one had even heard him walk in.

“Hanzo!” Angela blurted, surprised.

The solemn archer nodded his head in greeting.

“I apologize for intruding. I was told that McCree and Morrison were seen rushing to the med bay. I wanted to make sure no one was hurt.”

Jesse dramatically placed a gloved hand over his chest.

“Shucks, honey, I’m flattered that you would be concerned about me!”

Hanzo scoffed, looking unamused. “I was not concerned about your thick head. I am certain you are too stubborn to get hurt.”

Jack smirked because it was actually true. McCree was the one of the most stubborn, headstrong people he had ever met. He had on many occasions ‘walked off’ gunshot wounds and serious injuries. Jesse just laughed deep in his chest, looking at Hanzo fondly.

Jack wondered briefly if there was anything going on between them. He knew they were an odd and unlikely pair, but very close friends. Jesse often threw around pet names and affections casually, but Jack had never seen him look at anyone the way he looked at the stoic Japanese man.

“It’s okay, Hanzo!” The audio medic piped up. “Everyone is just fine. We were simply discussing the plan for Reyes.”

Hanzo nodded. “Ah. Of course. I will leave you, then.”

“Actually, sugar, it would make me mighty happy if you stayed. As long as Angie here don’t mind, of course.” Jesse intervened, placing a hand on the shorter man’s shoulder.

The Swiss woman shrugged.

“I do not mind. Feel free to stay, Hanzo. We could use some help setting up the systems. We hope to start the process as soon as possible, in case it doesn’t work.”

“And if it doesn’t?” Jack inquired, stepping forward. “What then?”

“We will keep trying until it does.” The doctor said firmly.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Angela called in Zenyatta soon after they had finished setting up. Lucio had arranged his speaker systems around Gabe’s room, and was quietly testing and tuning them. Angela had her Caduceus system hooked up as well. It was a bigger and more powerful version of the staff that she carried on missions, used specifically in the Gibraltar med bay.

In the med bay, Angela was a force to be reckoned with. She navigated her way around gracefully but forcefully, making sure that everyone knew she was the one in charge.

“Zenyatta, you will be imparting as much healing energy as you can during this. Please make sure that everything is in harmony and everything is working okay. Lucio, focus on your music and tuning it to best work with Reyes’s body. I will be controlling the Caduceus and also monitoring Gabriel. If I see any change in his vitals, I will let you all know.”

The omnic and the audio medic nodded compliantly, taking their places around the bed where Gabe lay. Jack was watching the scene play out, but mostly absorbed in the dormant figure of Gabriel Reyes.

In the daylight, Gabe looked terrible. The sunlight made his skin a sickly grey, whereas the shadows of night hid the obvious veil of death that Gabriel wore. Jack felt a surge of protectiveness run through him. He was still not completely sold on what Angela was doing. He was better at understanding weapons and warfare than healing and technology.

But, he put his trust into the Swiss woman, just as she was trusting him by healing Gabe. It was the least he could do.

“Jack, unfortunately, I will need you, Jesse, and Hanzo to leave the room while we are healing him. You can watch through the observation window in the room next door, if you would like.” Angela told him, pulling a white lab coat over her sunny yellow scrubs.

More trust he had to give to her. He reluctantly gave Gabe one last look before nodding at the doctor.

“Of course. Angela, I want you to know how much this means to me. You doing this for me. For him. You have no reason to do it, but you do it without a single word of complaint. I trust you with his life, Angela and I have no doubt that you will save him.” Jack said honestly, meaning every word of it. Angela’s sky blue eyes shone and she smiled.

“Thank you, Jack.” She said simply, squeezing his hand.

Jack left the room to join Jesse and Hanzo at the observation window. From inside the empty room, he could see the three doctors positioned around Gabriel’s bedside, like some sort of healing trifecta.

“Think he’ll come through, Jack?” McCree said, voice strangely quiet and subdued. Jack had never heard the boisterous cowboy so serious.

“We have the best doctors we can get. Angela would never let him stay like this. She will pull him through. She will find a way.” Jack said mustering up as much confidence as he could.

“He is right,” Hanzo surprised Jack by saying. “You have no reason to worry or to believe otherwise.”

Jack heard McCree give a small sniffle.

“I suppose y’all are right. I jus’ worry a lot, that’s all. I know Angie’s got the capability, along with Lucio and Zenny.” Jesse said fondly, casually using his serape to wipe at the corners of his eyes. The archer did not say anything, but Jack thought he saw the Japanese man reach down to grab Jesse’s hand. The wide smile from McCree and the red tinging Hanzo’s sharp cheekbones confirmed Jack’s suspicions. He couldn’t help but smile a bit to himself.

In Gabe’s room, Jack watched as Angela gestured towards Lucio. The audio medic fiddled with his speakers until he seemed satisfied. Jack could not hear anything from the other room, but he knew that the healing music was playing from the sound systems. He watched as Zenyatta then positioned his orbs of harmony on Gabe, a pale golden light shining around them. Jack felt the weight of the orb in his own pocket.

Then Angela turned on the Caduceus system, and blinding golden light filled the room. The large machine streamed the light into Gabriel’s body, trying to heal the half-decayed form. Jack watched as Lucio looked up towards Angela questioningly. She shook her head. Jack didn’t realize that he was holding his breath until he felt a tightness in his chest.

“It’s not working.” McCree muttered bluntly.

“It will.” Hanzo replied sternly.

Jack envied the calm confidence in the archer’s voice. He could not say that he was feeling the same.

Minutes passed. Nothing happened. The silent music played. The golden beam stayed strong. Zenyatta’s orbs glowed softly. But Gabe was still a shadowy wraith surrounded by bright white sheets and pillows. Jack noticed Lucio worrying his lip between his teeth and Angela’s fingers fidgeting on the Caduceus. Zenyatta seemed to be the only calm person in the room, maintaining his floating position with an air of surety.

“It’s not working.” Jack read the silent words uttered from Angela’s mouth. The Swiss doctor shook her head, disappointed.

“No. They have to keep going,” Jack said angrily, slamming his fists into the window ledge. “They can’t give up now!”

But Angela gestured the other healers to stop. Jack heard a sigh from McCree.

“Wait.” Hanzo spoke only a single word, calmly and coolly.

Sure enough, Jack watched as Zenyatta motioned for Angela and Lucio not to stop. He could not read the omnic’s lips, but the message was clear enough.

“What’s he doin’?” McCree questioned as the omnic monk removed the orbs of harmony from their positions on Gabe’s body. They were then rearranged so they encircled both Zenyatta and Gabriel.

“He is transcending.” A new voice rang out in the room, bright and synthetic, but with an unmistakable accent.

“Genji!” Hanzo scolded.

“Shimadas,” Jack muttered to himself as he turned to see the cyborg standing behind them. “Always sneaking around.”

Genji was casually leaning against the wall behind them, his faceplate removed and shock of green hair tangled around his head.

“Whaddya mean he’s transcendin’?” McCree asked. Genji merely waved a hand at the window.

“Watch and see.”

Jack’s eyes widened as he witnessed Zenyatta’s ethereal arms manifest outside of his body and a deep golden aura settle around both the omnic and the unmoving form of Gabe.

He realized that it was the same thing that he had accidentally walked in on Zenyatta and Genji doing. Jack saw Mercy’s mouth fall open in a ‘o’ shape. Lucio was staring, enrapt, at the scene before him. Then the Swiss woman waved her hand at Lucio, most likely telling him to start the music again. The beam of light from the Caduceus intensified and Jack thought he could hear the sweet melody of Lucio’s music playing.

“That’s my Zenyatta.” Jack caught Genji whisper under his breath. The cyborg was smiling from ear to ear, his scarred face alight with pride.

Jack saw Angela’s lips move, but he couldn’t read what she said. Then, Lucio threw his hands up and broke into an energetic dance move. Angela was smiling too now, her chest convulsing with silent laughter.

“Is he-?” McCree dared to mutter.

“Look at Reyes.” Hanzo answered, his voice trembling slightly.

Jack looked. His skin was rapidly regenerating along his face, the flesh filling in the decayed side. It was coming back in the rich bronze color that Jack knew so well. The smoky tendrils that spilled from his body were disappearing, and smooth, regular skin was taking its place.

Jack realized that he was smiling like an idiot and that his cheeks were slightly damp.

-0-0-0-0-0-

It took forty more minutes of waiting, anticipating, until they saw Angela give Lucio the OK to shut off the music. The motely group of Jack, McCree, Hanzo, and Genji all stayed in the room, watching the every move of the healers.

Hanzo was like a different person around Jesse and his brother. He would laugh at Genji’s terrible jokes he cracked to keep the spirits of the group up. He would even make his own subtle and just as cringe-worthy jokes at times and Jack would do a double take to make sure he heard himself right.

Zenyatta stayed in his same position, ghostly arms outstretched and orbs of harmony floating around him. He did not move at all. Jack sometimes caught Genji whispering words of encouragement to his master, even though the omnic couldn’t hear him.

Jesse was returned to his usual boisterous self the moment Zenyatta transcended with Gabriel. He launched into many an over-exaggerated story of his youth as the group waited for Gabe to be declared stable.

Jack enjoyed the company of his group more than he would admit. They provided him with a distraction from his own thoughts, which more than often would consume him with doubt and guilt. They never left the small observation room for one minute, staying by his side and watching as Gabe was slowly healed. If they noticed the tears that shone in Jack’s ice blue eyes, then they didn’t say anything.

Now, Angela had confirmed Gabe’s stability and Jack could barely breathe. What would Gabe look like fully healed? Would his hair be as dark and curly, or would it be speckled white and grey? Would he have crow’s feet around his midnight dark eyes? What would he be like when he woke? Most importantly, Jack thought, would he be Reaper or would he be Gabriel Reyes?

Jack watched, his doubts tingling the back of his mind, as Zenyatta came down from transcendence, the golden aura disappearing along with the ethereal arms. Jack wasn’t sure if an omnic could look exhausted, but Zenyatta certainly did. His orbs floated low around his neck, his back was hunched, and arms limp.

Angela disconnected the Caduceus system from Gabriel, and immediately starting rushing around him, hooking up wires and tubes. Lucio slung an arm around Zenyatta, patting the omnic on his back.

“I’m going in.” Jack blurted, pushing away from the window. He didn’t bother to stick around to hear the group’s protests. He spun out of the room, hearing the telltale jingle of Jesse’s spurs follow him. Reaching the door to Gabriel’s room, he turned to see Jesse, Hanzo, and Genji had followed him.

“It’s no use. I have to see him.” Jack warned, ready for the lecture of his lifetime about how he should let Gabriel be, or how he shouldn’t see him in this state.

“Jack. We’re not stoppin’ ya. We wanna see him too.” Jesse said kindly. The Shimada brothers didn’t argue Jesse’s point, staring expectantly at Jack. Jack swallowed the lump of emotions that formed in his throat. Then, he nodded once and opened the door to the room.

“Jack!” Angela said, putting her hands on her hips. “I would have called you to come in, you know.”

“I know. I had to see him. Is he healed?”

“Fully healed, at least for now. We’ll wait to see if the effects are reversed at all, but for now, the healing overloaded the cell degeneration. We couldn’t have done it without Zenyatta.” Angela smiled, gesturing to the omnic monk.

At the mention of Zenyatta, Genji ran forward, throwing himself at the omnic.

“Zenny! I’m so proud of you!” Genji cried, before dipping the omnic and giving him a passionate kiss on his faceplate. Jesse whistled and clapped until Genji pulled away, burying his face into his master’s smooth metal shoulder.

Jesse laughed, looking upon the scene that the cyborg and the omnic made. Hanzo scoffed, but Jack saw the smile threatening to tug at his lips.

“Nonsense, my student. All the work here was done by Miss Ziegler and her excellent assistant, Lucio. I merely boosted them along.” Zenyatta said humbly, allowing Genji to hold on to him.

“Don’t sell yourself that short, Zen!” Lucio chirped brightly. “You were amazing! I’ve never seen anything like that!”

“Lucio’s right,” Angela intercepted, jotting something down on an electronic clipboard. “It was a medical miracle.”

But Jack wasn’t listening to the group around him. He was focused only on Gabriel. He took a tentative step forward, sidling up next to the med bay cot. Jack inhaled sharply.

This was Gabriel. It was him, alive again, mahogany skin littered with scars. No sign of dissipation or tendrils of smoke. No half-decayed face. This was Gabriel Reyes in the flesh.

Jack was right, he had aged. His curls were shot through with tendrils of silvery gray and his skin was lined with more than just scars. But it was him and Jack wouldn’t have it any other way.

Jack always thought Gabe was some kind of Spanish demon, fiery and hot-tempered, shouting colorful sentences in a mix of Spanish and English. But now, Jack could almost believe he was an angel, shrouded in pristine white sheets, lying serenely on the bed. How could this man be Reaper? How could he have committed the horrors that Reaper did?

“Come back for me, Gabe. Fight for me.” Jack whispered under his breath, words only meant for Gabriel to hear. The figure stayed silent and unmoving, but Jack felt an odd sense of peace settle over him.

“You once died because I didn’t trust you, Gabe. Now, I’m giving you all the trust I have. You have my life in your hands, just like I once had yours in mine. The ball is in your court, Gabe. Make your move.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: Write a normal chapter that focuses on Jack as a character.  
> Also me: Write a chapter with as many possible characters you can fit in. Also put in Zenyatta and the Shimada brothers for no logical reason.  
> Me: Ah yes, of course. I'll do that.  
> Hope you guys liked!! Your kudos and comments are my lifeblood. I have been ecstatic with the response this fic is getting, it's more than I could ever wish for or deserve! Please stay happy, healthy and safe! Love you all!  
> <3 Ambassador


	6. Maybe If the Stars Align, Maybe if Our Worlds Collide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all are so nice and patient with me xD thank you so much for sticking around   
> So, this chapter includes some made up medical knowledge by me and some Spanish that was pieced together by what knowledge I have and google translate, so If any of you notice anything that is wrong, please just tell me! I would appreciate that very much. :P   
> Chapter title: Be Together by Major Lazer (ft. Wild Belle)  
> ahhh enjoy this guys, I'm excited for this one!!

 

The date was set for approximately three days from when Gabe was healed. That would be the day Angela would wake Gabriel. That would be the day Jack would see Gabriel open his eyes and talk once again. That would be the day Reaper would make his stand or Gabriel would make his claim. That day was today, and Jack wasn’t sure if he was ready for it.

Gabe had successfully made it through a whole day without his body composition turning back. He was declared medically stable by Angela.

Jack would visit him every morning and every night. Sometimes Jesse would join him. Sometimes with Hanzo, sometimes without. Other times, Jack went alone, savoring the time he had with Gabe. On occasion, Zenyatta would visit him, giving him some sort of cryptic advice on finding peace and making absolutely terrible puns that Jack would sometimes overlook.

Jack had returned the monk’s orb of harmony after Gabriel was healed.

“I am glad you have found peace.”

“I’m not quite sure I will be at peace until I find out if he is Gabriel or Reaper. But for now, yes, I have made peace with my situation. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. You are stronger than you realize. You know, Jack Morrison, when I transcended your friend, I felt a sense of harmony in his soul. He is at peace. Whatever happened to him, I believe there is good in his soul.”

“Or he is at peace with the fact that he is a horrible person.” Jack said wryly. The omnic just laughed.

“Peace is relative, yes. But harmony is not. I did not feel discord in him. You must give him more credit than you believe.”

“I gave him everything, Zenyatta.”

“Ah. Then you have found peace with him. Harmony exists between you both. He has given you all he had and you gave him all you have.”

“That’s an odd way of looking at it.”

Zenyatta just tilts his head and Jack is sure that if he could see the omnic’s expressions, it would be an enigmatic grin.

Now, Jack feels an odd sense of loss without the weight of the omnic orb in his hoodie pocket. He fills the empty space by shoving his hands deep into the pockets.

Jack is not ready for this. He doesn’t think he will ever be ready for this. But, it has to happen. He has to do it. This time, he will not have his group of misfits by his side. He scolds himself for missing them; needing them by his side for strength. But he can’t deny that he does. He misses the boisterous cowboy, the confident cyborg and the grim-faced archer. He misses his motley group.

But, Jack has been told explicitly that no one else is allowed in the room but he and Angela. The room with be monitored by Athena and Winston, making sure that nothing goes wrong when Gabriel wakes. Backup is a single call away, in case it all falls apart. In case Gabriel is Reaper, with no excuses for his deeds.

Jack tells himself that it is just a regular visit to Angela at the med bay. That nothing special will happen. But still, he leaves his jacket with the 76 on it, just in case Gabriel recognizes it and associates him with Reaper’s enemy.

Instead, he looks like a regular guy, unassuming save for the shock of brilliant white hair and the two crisp scars slashing across his face. He looks almost like the old Jack Morrison, but he feels far from that.

The walk to the med bay takes longer than usual. There is a cold, serious feeling that seeps into the base like a dampness. Jack knows that agents are avoiding the area because he hasn’t seen a single person so far, when usually there are at least a few passing through or mulling around. That, or they have been told specifically not to come here.

Jack is surprised to see Jesse McCree standing by the doors of the med bay when he reaches them.

“They said that you can’t come in. Did Winston and Angela let you join?” Jack says bluntly after the cowboy gives him a sheepish wave.

“Oh, I ain’t comin’ in. I just wanted ta’ see ya off,” McCree answers, rubbing the back of his shaggy head.

There’s an awkward pause and Jack’s coughs to cover it.

“I appreciate that, Jesse.”

McCree gives him a watery smile, sniffling a bit.

“Aw, shucks,” The cowboy mutters and then proceeds to crush Jack in a massive hug. Jack sputters a bit at first, but then gives the overly enthusiastic gunslinger a few pats on the back.

 “Jack, ya tell Gabe when he wakes up that I gotta bone to pick with him. Tell ‘im that I missed him, too and that I won’t forgive him for dyin’ on me.” Jesse mutters.

“Of course, but I-I would appreciate it if you would let me go, Jesse. I can’t breathe very well.” Jack wheezes.

“Aw geez, sorry Jack!” McCree quickly lets him go, chuckling.

Jack rubs his stomach, checking in case his ribs are broken. They are not, but it feels close enough.

“You go bring back our Gabe, eh?” Jesses claps a gloved hand on Jack’s shoulder.

“I’ll do my best. Thank you, Jesse.” Jack says, meaning it more than he could convey with just his words. Jesse’s outgoing, cheerful presence has always made Jack feel more at ease. Not to mention, every time Jack saw the gunslinger, he was reminded of Gabe taking in the young, scrappy criminal and raising him practically as his own. Gabe angrily scolding the young cowboy, but grinning at his tendency to rebel. Gabe with a soft smile on his face, ruffling the teenage Jesse’s tangled mess of brown hair.

“Nah, Jack, I didn’t do nothin’. Now go on. Get in there.” Jesse said fondly.

Jack shook himself from the nostalgia and memories that settled over him, bringing himself back to the present.

“Yeah. Yeah, okay.”

Jack entered the med bay through the large metal doors, taking a deep breath. By now, the route through the med bay was familiar to him. He walked through the West Wing to the first room in the corridor. He pretended he didn’t notice the cameras and armed agents stationed in every corner of the med bay.

Angela was waiting in Gabe’s room, standing by his bedside with a hypodermic needle.

“Hello Jack.” The doctor said, offering a smile. Jack appreciated her attempts to make him feel comfortable, but there was an air of tension throughout the base that leeched into Jack.

“Just sit here,” Angela said, waving at a chair at the opposite side of the room. “I will wake him, but you have to stay there until I say that it’s safe. I don’t know how he might react to seeing you.

“There’s only two choices. Actually, knowing Gabe, the choice would be the same either way.”

“Still, I would feel better if you waited until I say it’s safe.”

Jack huffed a bit, but he sat down, figuring that it was the least he could to simply follow her rules. The room seemed oddly empty and quiet. Angela brought the hypo up to the bright synthetic lights on the ceiling, squinting at it.

“So…” Jack coughed lightly. “You’ll just wake him with that?”

Angela nodded. “He should wake up a few moments after the drug enters his bloodstream. He may still be a bit groggy afterwards though.”

She put the needle up the vein on the inside of his elbow, glancing over at Jack.

“Well. Here we go.”

Jack gulped nervously. This was it. His stomach rolled anxiously. He wiped his suddenly damp palms on his thighs.

Angela inserted the needle into Gabe’s vein and Jack watched as the liquid methodically left the syringe and entered Gabriel’s bloodstream. Angela let out a shaky breath as she pulled away and discarded the hypo.

Seconds ticked by. Then Jack noticed Gabe’s breaths deepen, changing from the shallow, sedated breaths. Jack itched to jump out of the chair and get closer to Gabe, but he saw Angela glance over at him, telling him to stay put.

Then, Gabe’s thick black eyelashes fluttered. Jack took a sharp intake of breath. He felt a small shock of pain on his palms and realized that he was clenching his fists hard enough to leave red half-moon indentions on his palms.

Gabriel’s eyes flickered open slowly, bleary and unfocused. Jack choked back the lump of emotion that built in his throat. He thought he would never see those infinitely dark eyes ever again.

Gabriel began to survey to room around him, gaining his consciousness little by little. His eyes flickered over to where Angela stood, but did not linger. Instead, he directed his attention to where Jack sat, at the far end of the room. A sob escaped Jack’s throat as Gabe mad eye contact with him. It felt like there was an ocean between them and Jack wanted nothing more than to rush over to the side of the med bay bed.

Gabe’s eyes widened as he stared at Jack, mouth falling open a bit.

“Oh, _dios. Mi sol, estás aquí_ …” Words crackled out of Gabe, harsh and raspy from disuse.

Jack began to smile, recognizing that Gabe was speaking Spanish, but not being able to understand what exactly it was he said.

Suddenly, Gabe started convulsing, choking noises being torn from his throat. Jack jumped to his feet, not being able to sit anymore.

“Gabe!” He cried, rushing forward. But Angela intercepted him, pushing him back.

“Jack, no!” She said sharply. Jack noticed she had another needle out. “Don’t go near him!”

Gabe was now hunched over in the bed, coughing uncontrollably, clutching his head.

“Help him, Angela!” Jack pleaded, in pain as he watched Gabe suffering.

“Jack, I can’t. Look!” The doctor gestured to Gabe’s body where his fingers and elbows began to fade into smoke. “He’s changing again!”

The despair was evident in the doctor’s words. So, Gabe’s healing had been temporary after all. Jack felt like his world was crumbling around him.

Gabe was still coughing, but it was peppered with barely intelligible Spanish. He clenched and unclenched his smoky hands, curled into a ball in the bed.

“Gabe, please!” Jack half sobbed.

The comm crackled to life above them.

“Doctor Ziegler, Agent Morrison, we need to subdue him now! Sedate him and leave the room instantly!” Winston rumbled over the communication system.

“No! Angela, leave the room! I will take care of him myself!” Jack is talking before he can even register it. There is silence besides Gabe’s animalistic noises. Angela gives a violent shake of her head.

“No way, Jack! I’m not leaving you here with this…madman!” She cries angrily.

“Angela is right, Jack. I cannot allow that.” Winston agrees.

“No. You know what? I’m not letting you guys do this to him. I have this feeling and I have to follow it. If I’m wrong…Well, if I’m wrong, then I’ve won against him before and I’ll do it again. Besides, he’s in no shape to do anything. You have to let me do this.”

There is a pause and neither Winston nor Angela speaks.

“Jack…”

“Please, Winston.”

“Fine. But I will have sedating snipers at the ready if anything happens. Angela…you should leave before he hurts anyone.” Winston finally concedes.

Angela lets out a horrified gasp. Jack can’t believe Winston actually agreed.

“I’ll never understand you Jack.” Angela shakes her head, pushing the sedating needle into Jack’s hand. “Be safe, please.”

She gives a final glance at where Gabe lies in the bed, half of his right arm in smoky tendrils, and coughs racking his body. Then she exits the room.

Jack stares down at Gabe. He tosses the needle to the side of the room.

“Gabe, listen to me. I know you’re there. I know you can hear me. You’re not the same person Reaper was. That was not you.”

Jack takes a tentative step forward. Gabe’s wraith-like hands are half curled around his ears, but somehow Jack doesn’t think that it’s him that Gabe is trying to block out. Jack leans in, kneeling by the bedside. The coughing has lessened, but Gabe is still breathing harshly. Jack can hear the raggedness of his throat.

“ _Hazlo parar…por favor, mi sol_.” Gabe mutters incoherently, clutching himself as if he’s trying to keep himself together.

“Hey, hey, hey.” Jack soothes. “I don’t want to hurt you, Gabe. I know it’s you here. I’m so happy to have you back. Keep fighting, Gabe. Don’t give up!”

Gabe turns his head up to Jack. His eyes are shifting from dark brown to blood red. He gives Jack one painful, pleading stare, full of both hope and despair.

“ _Eres la luz de mi vida. Tú eres la razón por la que lucho._ ” Gabe rasps out. Then his eyes widen, turning completely red and staying that way. He convulses once again and his body completely dissipates.

“Gabe, no! Please, try to keep fighting it!” Jack begs. The smoky form that is Gabe snakes its way around the room, spreading darkness.

Then, suddenly, Jack is slammed against the wall forcefully and there’s a hand at his throat. Gabe is solid again, pressing Jack into the hard wall and holding him in place with a broad forearm across Jack’s chest and a hand holding his throat.

Jack sputters a bit as the pressure at his neck restricts his breath. Despite Gabe having lost a lot of weight and also considering his smoky form, he was surprisingly strong and a solid wall of muscle in front of Jack.

Gabe hissed sharply, baring his teeth, but he didn’t say a word. Jack struggled to breathe, but whatever air he sucked in through his nose smelled dark and spicy like cinnamon, cayenne, and blood. The scent was heady and intoxicating, but that also could have been the lack of air Jack was receiving.

“G-Gabe...” Jack managed to get out, placing a hand on Gabe’s forearm. His skin was silky smooth and almost feverishly hot. The man was radiating heat like a furnace, probably because of the unnatural work his cells were doing. Jack knew that Gabe would be getting a tranquilizer dart very soon if he didn’t back down.

Jack tentatively reached his hand up, threading his fingers through Gabe’s curls. They were impossibly soft and Jack shivered at the sensation. Gabe continued to stare intensely at Jack, not moving an inch.

Jack met Gabe’s blood red gaze and was struck by how powerful and beautiful he looked, standing above him, mere inches away. Jack’s chest hurt with how much he had missed Gabe. How much he had missed his intimidating and grounding presence. How much he missed everything between them.

On impulse, Jack tugged lightly on Gabe’s curls, bringing him closer. To his surprise, Gabe did not resist. The atmosphere was thick with emotions and anticipation. Gabe’s weight on him was warm and comforting, despite the threatening position he held over Jack.

Jack shivered again and Gabe growled lightly in his throat, pressing closer. Jack let out a shaky breath, his whole body feeling like it was on fire. The smell of cinnamon and spices made Jack’s head spin.

Jack pulled Gabe’s head forward just a bit more and closed the space between them. Gabe made no move to pull away. Instead, he moved his hand from Jack’s throat up to cup his jaw and deepened the kiss. Jack let out a breathy sigh in the back of his throat, his chest bursting with emotions.

Gabe was just as he remembered. Soft, full lips and kisses that tasted like home. Jack would gladly drown in all of it. Gabe nipped at Jack’s lower lip and Jack chuckled softly, letting Gabe take the lead.

_My Gabe. My everything._

Gabe shifted Jack up on the wall to deepen the angle of the kiss and Jack gave a little moan. Jack felt Gabe’s chest rumble with a contented purr. Then, Jack softly pulled away, breathless and flushed.

To his surprise, Gabe’s eyes were midnight dark again, shining with emotion. His skin showed no signs of dissipating.

“ _Gracias, mi amor, mi sol_. My beautiful Jack.” Gabe said, his voice rough with emotion, finally speaking English since he had been awoken.

“Welcome back, Gabe.” Jack grinned and leaned down to capture Gabe’s mouth one more time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AGHHH I JUST LOVE GABE SO MUCH HE'S SO PRECIOUS  
> Translations:  
> Oh, dios. Mi sol, estás aquí…= Oh, God. My sunshine, you are here...  
> Hazlo parar…por favor, mi sol. = Make it stop...please, my sunshine.  
> Eres la luz de mi vida. Tú eres la razón por la que lucho. = You are the light of my life. You are the reason I fight.  
> Gracias, mi amor, mi sol. = Thank you, my love, my sunshine.   
> Okay so, I'm not going to end it here because I still have a long explanation for Gabe, don't I? Yeah, so I think that I'll add a prologue chapter after this one and then end it there if I am content with how it goes.  
> Thank you so so much for reading this!! It means everything to me. Every time I get a kudos or a comment, it gives me so much inspiration to keep going!   
> You guys are all amazing! Please stay safe and happy!  
> <3 Ambassador


	7. There'll Be Peace When You Are Done

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At long last....here is the final chapter! Sorry it took so long, life has not been very nice as of late.  
> Chapter title: Carry on my Wayward Son by Kansas (Thanks Supernatural fandom, I'm just gonna borrow it for this title...)  
> Please enjoy everyone thank you so so much for reading!

Although Gabe had temporarily reverted back to his wraith form, no changes occurred after that. Angela and Winston returned to the room after Gabe and Jack reconciled, a little redder and more awkward than before. They deemed Gabe to be safe, but kept him under close eye in the med bay in case anything else happened. Now, he owed them all an explanation that most of the base was itching to hear.

Jack, Angela, Winston and Jesse, which meant Hanzo by default, met in Gabe’s room at the med bay to hear the story. The room was under heavy surveillance and some precautions were taken by Winston in case Gabriel accidentally reverted again.

Gabe did not try to be on his best behavior.

“Who are you, _cabrón_?” Gabe sniffed as haughtily as a man laid up in a hospital bed could, looking suspiciously at Hanzo. Jack sighed and put his head in his hands.

“He’s with me, Gabe. No need ‘ta be rude.” Jesse said, stepping protectively in front of Hanzo, who rolled his eyes.

“I am perfectly capable of defending myself, Jesse.” Hanzo muttered, but didn’t resist when McCree put at arm around him.  Gabe’s eyebrows flew up in surprise and he gave a smug grin.

“Ooh, Jesse, _mijo_ , what is this?”

The cowboy flushed and tugged his Stetson over his eyes.

“Now, that’s none ‘o yer business, Gabe,” Jesse said indignantly.

Winston cleared his throat loudly.

“Well, if you all will remember, we are not here to catch up on gossip, as interesting as this is. Reyes, you have a story to tell, am I right?”

“Ahh, so I do. I will warn you it is not a pretty story,” Gabriel mused, rubbing his fingers against the beard that had grown in over the time he spent in the med bay.

“We have all had our fair share of stories like that.” Angela said, undaunted.

“Maybe so, _señorita_. Well. If you all insist, I will start from the beginning.” Gabe said, eyeing up the group surrounding him. Jack reached out and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Gabe squeezed back, gratefulness in his eyes. The group did not mention anything about it, but Jack could have sworn he heard a small cough from Jesse.

“The day of the explosion. The explosion of the Swedish Base. I know that I am blamed for that and the deaths that followed, but I can tell you that it was Talon. They had a man inside who set the bombs. The denoted them at their own leisurely pace. The goal of the attack was to destroy the base and wound or kill any important agents. Then, they sent agents in to extract any wounded or near-dead Overwatch agents and use them as experimental weapons to possibly use against Overwatch. I later learned that their goal was to get Jack and I. Luckily, they couldn’t find Jack and he was presumed dead. Unfortunately, they got me. Looking back, I only wish that I had died and been buried ten feet under the rubble.

“They subjected me to their experiments that were meant to turn me into a soldier to fight against Overwatch. Medically, I died and was resurrected a thousand times over. They injected me with a drug that destroyed my cells and another drug that regenerated them. The two worked together to make me the monster called Reaper. The drugs…they made a mess of my mind. It was as good as brainwashing and torture. The cell degeneration and regeneration scrambled my brain and I couldn’t keep a straight thought for more than a second. I regret to say that they succeeded in their goal. For too many years, I worked for Talon. I killed for Talon.” Gabriel closed his eyes for a moment.

Jack saw the memories that haunted his mind. He knew what it was like to suffer from the memories of the people he killed. But he killed for the good of the world. Gabriel had killed for Talon. Jack could not imagine what the guilt and pain was like.

“Take your time, Gabe.” Jack murmured as Gabriel tried to compose himself.

“Thank you, _cariño_.” Gabe muttered, breathing deep. “Finally, when I met up and fought with Ana and Jack, everything changed. When I saw Jack, something in my mind clicked and for once, it didn’t slip away. If I held onto that memory of Jack, I could remember who I was before. Once I had gathered up my memories, I knew I had a job to do before leaving Talon. I had to try and reverse as much of the death I had caused. I spent a long time seeking out and anonymously destroying important Talon bases and leaders. My memory sometimes failed me and I struggled to remember my goal at times. But the memory of Jack stayed strong and did not leave me. It was the only thing that kept me together.

“I knew that if I came to Overwatch, I would be killed. I had to force you guys to keep me safe and for Jack to see me. So, I planned my last stand against Talon. I went straight into the main base without any warning and tried to destroy as much of it as I could before they realized what I was doing. I was almost killed by agents, but I managed to steal an untraceable Talon jet to fly here. I crash landed the jet, half-dead, and firing my shotguns in the air. Thankfully, I guessed right. You guys took me in and healed me. I am grateful for your help. Without you, I would be dead.”

Winston pushed his glasses up from where they had fallen. “This changes everything we know. We have a man who was inside of Talon. I must thank you, Gabriel. You have obviously been through a lot. Athena and I will do our best to clear your name and show the world the hero that you are.” The gorilla stated determinedly.

Gabe blinked quickly, looking fiercely at Winston. Jack realized with a start that Gabe was getting choked up. “I…don’t know what to say. _Estoy agradecido más allá de las palabras._ Thank you. I may not be the best man, but I am not Reaper and I never will be.” Gabe’s voice was thick with emotions.

“We know that. You’re Gabriel Reyes. You were never Reaper.” Jack said soothingly.

“I know that I might change back into that form sometimes, but don’t worry. The drugs will wear off, and besides, I can control myself in that form. I just…need a few moments to remember.” Gabe reassured.

“Remember, eh? I don’t call what happened then ‘remembering’.” Jack teased. He laughed as Angela went bright red and Winston put his face in his hands. Gabe just grinned, and waggled his eyebrows.

Jesse made a choked noise and rubbed his eyes vigorously with the end of his serape. Hanzo patted his shoulder comfortingly.

“Aw, jeez, Gabe. I’m so glad to have ya’ back. I missed ya’ somethin’ fierce.” Jesse said, sniffling loudly.

Gabe grinned, eyes bright.“I missed you too, _mijo_.” Jack smiled, enjoying the interactions between Jesse and Gabe, which he hadn’t seen in a long time. Something bright and warm was lodged in Jack’s chest and a lump of emotion in his throat.

“Thank you for telling us your story,” Angela said softly. “I know it probably was not easy.”

Gabe ran his fingers through his mop of curls. “It was the least I could do.”

“You have done so much for us, Gabe. Now, you should rest.” Jack rubbed his thumb over Gabe’s calloused knuckles.

“Thank you. Thank you all.” Gabe leaned back into the med bay bed, eyes tired but relieved. Jack gets up, shuffling the others out so Gabe can get some peace and quiet. Jesse gives Gabe’s shoulder a squeeze before he walks out, arm around Hanzo.

Jack is left alone in the room.

He is overcome with an emotion that he has not felt in a long time. Jack feels a bright, burning sensation of hope. Hope that the future in front of him can be happy once again. Hope that Gabe can start his life anew.  

_I have a good feeling…_

Jack leans down to press a kiss to Gabe’s forehead.

“I am at peace, _mi sol_.” Gabe says quietly, eyes drifting closed, eyelashes tickling his scarred cheeks.  

_About this new beginning…_

_"_ As am I.” Jack is surprised to find that he says the words with complete honesty. He is at peace. Jack laughs quietly to himself. Zenyatta was right. Both he and Gabe had found harmony within each other. 

_I have a good feeling…_

“Never leave me again, Gabe.” Jack whispers, tear slipping out of his eyes.

“Never. I promise, Jack, _mi amor_.” Gabe gives his hand a squeeze. Jack’s heart feels like it is about to burst from love and happiness.  

_About us…_

The med bay is quiet and perfect and there is nowhere in the world Jack would rather be.

  _I have a good feeling_

_About what is to come_

_That I can start from the beginning_

_And find love_

_That I can be free and hope_

_For a world where we can be forever_

_For a world where love is love_

_Where I can dance with the stars_

_And let the sun rain gold upon my tear-stained cheeks_

_Where we can all stand_

_Hand in hand_

_And not care about trivial things_

_Like skin color_

_Or religion_

_Or who we love_

_Or how we express ourselves_

_But only that we are all souls traveling this well-worn path of life_

_I have a good feeling_

_About this year_

_About the next and the next and every year after_

_Because I will get to live each of them and love each of them_

_And it might be hard_

_It will be painful and grueling_

_But I can make it_

_And I will make it_

_Because I have you by my side_

_Because I know that there is love and hope still out there to find_

_I have a good feeling_

_T_ _hat I can stand strong_

_That I can live_

_I have a good feeling_

_That I can find hope once again_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel bad for this being so short, but I felt that it was the best way to wrap it up.  
> Translations:  
> cabrón=dumbass, asshole  
> mijo=son  
> señorita=miss  
> cariño= sweetie, sweetheart  
> Estoy agradecido más allá de las palabras=I am grateful beyond words  
> Mi sol=my sun, my sunshine  
> Mi amor= my love  
> If anything looks wrong, please feel free to let me know!  
> Okay, so I wanted to add a great big thank you to everyone who has given kudos or left comments and even those who simply just read this! Your support means the world to me and I never would have gotten this fic done without you all! This was my first multi-chapter fic, and it was quite the experience! I hope I did justice to this beautiful ship and its wonderful fandom. It's going to be so strange not working on a new chapter next week!  
> The good news is I can now work on some other ideas I had (lots of genyatta haha) and maybe start another fic!  
> Here is my Tumblr because I keep forgetting to post it:  
> https://thefandomambassador.tumblr.com/  
> I mostly just repost Overwatch ships and post fic updates XD  
> Thank you again everyone!! Much love to all of you <3 Please, stay safe and happy!!  
> <3 Ambassador


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